Milking apparatus.



G. SINCLAIR.

MILKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I2, 19m.

1,13995 Patented May 18, 1915.

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GEORGE sincnain, or sr. PAUL, MINNESOTA, Assicfivoa 'ro rnnnnnrcii G. BRADBURY,

OF ST. PAUL,-MINNESOTA.

Min-Kme arrana'rns.

specification @f tetters Patent. Patented May 18, 1915'. i

Application filed-November `12, 1914. Serial I\To. 871,711.

-' To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Gnoncn SinoLAni', a citizen of the United States, residing at St.

l Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Milking allpparatus,A of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in.l

milking apparatus. y v, A 'It has for its primary obiect the production of simple andfinexpensive construction,

wherein the parts witlrwhich then'iilk comes into Contact can more easily be cleaned and kept cleaner than in devices which havehere-- milking tubes.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this speci ication, Figure 1'is a vertical sectionv ot part of my invention; Fig. 2 is a diagram of the air pipe' system; Fig.' 3 is a section of a detailtaken on the line X--X of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, showing 'the milking tubes with their teat cups attached.

In the drawing A-'indicates a main milk receptacle, such as a pail, which in use is placed on the ground or floor alongside of the cow to be milked. This pail is provided with a cover 2, which Kis placed over its body 3, and has mounted therein a pair of oppol sitely disposed valved, milk containers 4 and 5; These milk containers are similar in construction, each consisting of ,a horizontal tube 6, having a cap 7 placed. over one endend formed with a pair of ports 8 and 9 in one side. The central portion of the cover 2 is provided with a depending boss 10, into the sides of which a pair of pro. tuberances 11 engage, said protuberances being formed on' the sides of the containers Ll and 5, so that when engaged with the support 10, the open ends of the containers ll and 5 face together and are spaced a short distance apart, leavingthe other ends of the containers t and 5, which are closed by caps 7 distanced Wide apart. Thecover 2 is also formed with a pair of depending arms 12, through which threaded supporting adapted to engage in centrally disposed recesses 14 in the caps 7 to hold the tubes on the support 10 with the caps 7 tightly closed over ltheir outer ends. The ports 8 and 9 have secured therein upiif'ardly projecting nipples 15, which extend through a slot 1G in vthe Vcover immediately above each of the containers 4 and A plate 17 is placed over each pair of nipples 15, and closes the slot 16 .in thel cover and flexible tubes such as 38 to Lltlare attached over the ends of' the nipples 15 land 15 and hold the plates 17 tightly over the slots 1G. The support 10 is formed-with a track bar 20 extendinglongi- ,tudinaflly of the pair of containers 4 and 5,

saidbar having a pair of longitudinal pro jections 21 along its lower. edge for the greater portion of its length. Hung upon these projections 21 is a valve 22 in the form of a flat thin plate having a keyway 23, fitted freely with its inturned shoulders 24 engaging over the supporting projections 21. By this construction the valve 22 is free to slide and oscillate in the interval, between the open ends of the milk containers l and 5, first closing one of the milk containers and then thebther, so as to form an air Itight connection between the ports of each valved milk chamber. v

. The air pipe system for operating the milking devices, consists of a pair ot' substantially parallel pipes 30 and 8l extending through the building or shed in -which the milking apparatus is installed, one pipe being connected to one cylinder 32, and the other to the cylinder 33 of an air exhaust then the other, the successive impulses be.

ing adapted for use with the double milk containers described. As many sets of branches 35 are 'connected with the main air exhaust pipes as desired, the apparatus permitting the milking of any number of cows. The main exhaust pipes are provided with air regulating valves .36ct usual construction through the use of which sthe strength of the exhaust in the pipes can be regulated' .the opposite one.

for milking cows where greater or less strength of exhaustis desired. The. branch pipes 35 may be closed or opened by the use of valves 37. vOne of the main air exhaust pipes 30 is connected by a flexible tube 38, one end of which is attached to a branch and its other end to one oit the nipples 15 leading to one of the milk containers such as 5, while the other main pipe is connected by a flexible tube to the nipple l5, leading to the other milk container el. `While the tubes 38 and 39 are not shown in the drawing connected to the branches it will be understood that this is done by simply inserting a branch of one of the pipes 30 into one of the tubes as 3S and a branch of 'the other pipe 3l into the remaining tube 3D. The remaining nipples l5 are connected by flexible tubes #l0 to hand devices -'l-l. Each ot these hand devices consists of a pass-aged body 42 having'a pair of branch ducts 4Q lto which the teat cups 43 are connected. At the junction of the branches with the body- 4:2 a vent cock al is inserted, by the use of which the strength of the suction produced by drawing air through the coni'iected milking` tube can be regulated. By opening the cock #t4 fully the teat cups can be readily rcleased from their connection with the teats.

In use the pulsation of air produced by the air exhaust device through the main pipes are conducted through the tubes 38 and 39, milk containers 4 and 5, and milking tubes 40, thereby drawing or Y draw air through. first one seto't teat cups and then the other approximating the natural manner of milking. The milk flowing through the milk conducting tubes el() is held in each container until :i pulsation is completed, the valve 22 in the meantime holding one container' closed, and opening' While either container is open, milk .flows therefrom into-the main receptacle A. When it is desired to clean those portionsot the apparatus with which the milk cornes into contact, the retainers can'be removed by loosening the screws t3 and dcaching all of the tubes therefrom. The valve support by passing it over the ends of the supporting projections 2l. An apparatus of this clniracter is less liable to get out ol order than devices wherein separate pumping i'ncchanism is employed tor each inilk- 'ing device, and the construction is simpler andl less expensive.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have descrihi'ed the principles of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which l now consider to represent the liest cinhoflin'ii'nt thereof, but l desire to have it understood that the construction shoiifn'is onlyY illustrative, and'that the iiiycutioncan he carried out by other means r and applied to uses other than those above claim as new and desire to tending to can also be detached from its set forth Within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I protect by Letters Patent is l. Apparatus of the class set forth, comprising, in combination, a main milk receptacle, a pair ot milk containers mounted upon said receptacle, comprising a pair oit tubes arranged endwise and having a pair of their ends facing together and spaced slightly apart, a valve hung reely'in the interval between said tubes, said tubes being torned With ingress ports for and milk and with egress ports for air, teat cups connected with said inress ports and means .tor eX- hausting air through said egress ports, said valve being *free 'to move and alternately close the adjacent ends of said tubes to the ingress of air whereby dii-ring the open positioning of said valve, the contents of the open container are released into said main receptacle.

'2. ln apparatus of the class set forth, a

'main milk receptacle, a cover over said reccptacle having a or" depending supports, a milk container in the form of a. tube having a protuberance adapted to engage one et' said supports and a pair of inH gress and egress ports respectivel f for milk and air, a cap over one end of said'tube, a thumb screw passing through the other of saidsupports and engaging said cover to hold it closed with said tube supported upon said cover, a milking ductvconnected with said" ingress por-t, an air exhaust duct connectedl 'with said egress port andy a valvev itreely hung in front of the open end of said tube and adapted through the exhaust of air troni said milk container to closethe open end of said tube.

3. in an apparatus oit the class set forth,

an air pipe system for milking apparatus, comprising, a pair ot trunk pipes, means for alternately exhausting air from Hrst one and then the other of said pipes and a plurality of branches. connected withsaid pipes, cach pair ot said branches leading from both of said truuk pipes and adapted for connection with a milking device, whereby air is exhausted in a series ol pulsations .'l'roin said device by said trunk pipes.

ft. ln apparatus of the class set forth, a closed receptacle having spaced nipples opening tliereinto, a inillc container supported Within said receptacle and having an open and a closed end, a milk ingress port and an air egress port, said egress port being connected with one of said nipples, a valve natel move said valve into closed and open positions with respect to the, adjacent end of said container. 4

5. In apparatus of the class -set forth, a closed receptacle, a pair of milk containers removably supported within said receptacle and having adjacent open ends, a. valve having pivotal and sliding movement hung between said open ends, each of said containers having an egress port, andmeans for creating an exhaust first through one and then the other of said egress ports to alternately move said valve into closed positions with respect to the adjacent ends of said containers.

6. I n apparatus of the class set forth, a pair of milk containers having adjacent open ends, a valve mounted for pivotal sliding movement between said open ends, each of said containers having a milk ingress and an air egress port, and means for creating an exhaust first through one and then the other` of said egress ports to alternately '4 move said valve into closed spositions yvinth respect to theadJacent ends of said acontainers. l

7. In apparatus ofthe class set forth, a'V57 milk container ,having an open end and an air egress port, a fiat valve mounted for valve to move said valve into AAclosed and:

aoV

open positions with respect to the adjacentJ end of said container.

In testimony Whereo I have signed my`}' name to this speciiicatin" 4inggthe:presence 0i"j two subscribing witnesses? i GEORGE- SICLAIR Witnesses: ,A A STELLA L. Wasoisnnliiiens F. G. BRADBUXD Q, 

